Entry · catalog no. 1350
young
/ /jʌŋ/ /YUNG
noun · Washington, D.C. and the DMV · 2010s
✓ Verified
1.
A term of address for a friend or associate — short for young''un, but aimed at anybody, older heads included. The DMV''s counterpart to bro or son.
“What''s up, young — you sliding through the cookout or what?”
Origin & Attribution
Black Washington, D.C. Clipped from young''un and worn smooth as an all-purpose address, it has circulated in D.C. speech for decades alongside kin terms like moe and slim, and entered the written record through 2010s guides to DMV slang.
2010s
Documented in written guides to DMV slang
Region of origin
West
Midwest
N.East
South
Nationwide
Washington, D.C. and the DMV · 2010s
Spoken by
Black Washington, D.C.
$YOUNGThe Record · cultural traction
▲ Steady8 yrs
ahead of the mainstream
45/100
peak cultural energy
Introduced to English by the culture — logged here before the mainstream caught on.
Cultural usage — the recordMainstream search interest
First used
2018
in the culture
Cultural energy indexed from documented usage, search interest, and citation frequency. The recorded date is the archive’s permanent point of record.
Hear it spoken
By region — how it actually sounds
@auntiereg
Atlanta, GA
@deltasoul
Memphis, TN
Contribute your pronunciation
Citations & Sources
■
+ Cite a sourceCulture Trip, DMV Slang: Washington, D.C. Area Phrases You Should Know
2018
See also